When the college gymnastics season rolls around, some fans are excited for perfect 10s while others look forward to difficult skills and fun choreography. But we’re not going to lie. While those things are great, we love the leos most of all. And so, we’re back for another season of leotard rankings!
Each week we’re analyzing new designs to find our weekly faves. As always, leos can earn up to three points for design, up to one point each for fabric, sparkle, school spirit, and uniqueness, and up to three points for overall appearance. This week Rebecca S, Emily L, Mariah, and Julianna are joining editor-in-chief Elizabeth for judging. And, reminder that each season we save all the NCGA and USAG new team leos to judge together at the end of each division’s respective postseason, so be on the lookout for our thoughts on those then!
Don’t agree with our ranking? Make your opinion heard by voting in the fan poll at the end of the article each week or by voicing your thoughts on social media!
Oregon State: 9.700
View a video of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 10.000
Design 3.0/3, Fabric 1.0/1, Sparkle 1.0/1, School Spirit 1.0/1, Uniqueness 1.0/1, Overall Appearance 3.0/3
When Stanford debuted the angry tree and I saw Oregon State had the throwback Benny warmup leo, I immediately said, “OK, Oregon State, you next.” And, boy, am I thrilled that it not only happened but with the results! This is phenomenal. I have zero notes. Everything from the matte white to the subtle ombre to the athletic, throwback design is perfect. I can’t think of a single thing I’d change.
Rebecca S: 9.000
Design 2.4/3, Fabric 1.0/1, Sparkle 1.0/1, School Spirit 1.0/1, Uniqueness 1.0/1, Overall Appearance 2.6/3
My one complaint about this is the side mesh. I find it distracting, and I don’t see the point. Otherwise, great!
Emily L: 9.700
Design 2.9/3, Fabric 0.9/1, Sparkle 1/1, School Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 2.9/3
I love this! I love the orange to white ombre on the V-shaped pattern, and I think the throwback beaver logo is super cute and looks very clean. This is definitely one of my all-time favorite Oregon State leos!
Mariah: 10.000
Design 3.0/3, Fabric 1.0/1, Sparkle 1.0/1, School Spirit 1.0/1, Uniqueness 1.0/1, Overall Appearance 3.0/3
We didn’t get a lot of new leotards this week, but we got possibly the best one I’ve ever seen. I love the athletic design, the matte white fabric, and the retro beaver logo. The mesh on the sides, the abundance of sparkles, and the subtle ombre really elevate the look and keep it from being too old-school. No notes. More of this please!
Julianna: 9.800
Design 3/3, Fabric 1/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 3/3
I love this. I love the vibe. At first glance, I was skeptical about the bodice of the leo being white, but everything about it is just so spot on. I really love the ombre of the orange going up the arms and the placement of the sparkles on the black V parts. The circle-cut back is also really nice, as well as everything else, from the Beaver to the retro vibe. Too good.
Kentucky: 6.880
View a video of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 8.400
Design 2.4/3, Fabric 0.9/1, Sparkle 0.9/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 1.0/1, Overall Appearance 2.6/3
The Baddie is a perfect name for this leotard. The black fabric has a leather look, which I actually love, and the number of rhinestones on this thing is out of control. It might be the sparkliest leotard I’ve ever seen? Which is saying something because Oklahoma and its leotard budget exist. As a concept design, this just works. It’s not my favorite look I’ve ever seen, but the theme and individual elements are on point.
Rebecca S: 3.900
Design 0.6/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.0/1, Uniqueness 1.0/1, Overall Appearance 0.9/3
This is not for me. I’m very overwhelmed and very confused. There’s way too much stuff on this leotard, and even taking components individually, I just don’t get what the point is. It’s hard to see on the photo above, but I also find it odd how the pattern stops abruptly at about the bottom of the ribcage. Full points for uniqueness, though.
Emily L: 5.900
Design 1.5/3, Fabric 0.4/1, Sparkle 1/1, School Spirit 0.5/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 1.5/3
Unfortunately I just don’t really like this one. It’s a bit too busy for me, and I don’t like the lack of the gorgeous dark blue that Kentucky usually utilizes very well. What I really don’t like is the stripe down the front, and maybe I’d like it a bit better without it.
Mariah: 7.500
Design 1.8/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 1.0/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 1.0/1, Overall Appearance 2.3/3
This is very different for Kentucky, and I have mixed feelings about it. The absence of blue is a bit unexpected, but this design would be WAY too busy if it wasn’t solid black. It’s almost giving Oklahoma with the number of sparkles and design elements that are incorporated. I’m not personally in love with the front design, but the sleeves are immaculate, and the leather-look material and back straps are cool, too. This is definitely a leotard fitting of a senior day aired on ESPN2.
Julianna: 8.700
Design 2.5/3, Fabric 1/1, Sparkle 1/1, School Spirit 0.5/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 2.7/3
I am pretty obsessed with this leo. Like what?! I have really never seen something like it before. As soon as I started watching the meet, I was locked in on how different the leo is! The ‘faux leather’ feel is so fun, and I love the criss-cross back. I do think some of the sparkles are a little busy and I could have done with a little bit less down the arms, but this looks beautiful on TV and is definitely now one of my favorites from Kentucky.
Ball State: 5.980
View a video of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 6.700
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 2.0/3
It’s very plain, but I still really like it, especially “Dancing Charlie,” which is as cool of a name as the bird itself. However, I do wish it wasn’t the only school spirit on the design. On a positive note, though, while the front is a bit boring, I like the back straps and how they’re lined with rhinestones like Fisk did a few weeks ago.
Rebecca S: 5.100
Design 1.1/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.4/1, Overall Appearance 1.4/3
This is definitely a departure for Ball State, which historically loves wearing red. I like this dark gray color that other schools have done a lot with it, but here I feel like the utilization is a bit lacking. This leo could have taken one or two more design features. I like the choice to put mesh under the strappy back, though; that’s the one thing that makes this one a bit different.
Emily L: 5.900
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.4/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, School Spirit 0.5/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 2.0/3
This is so boring. I wish there was more of a design on the front other than just sparkle, and I also think there could be more sparkle on the sleeves. The only thing I really like is the crossed back, but that doesn’t make up for the rest of it being incredibly boring.
Mariah: 6.200
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 1.9/3
This is a nice and simple design. I like the idea of the logo on the sleeve, I just wish it wasn’t printed on the mesh because the colors are more unsaturated than I would like. I also wish there was some other incorporation of school spirit in the design, but overall it is a nice, timeless leo to have in the arsenal.
Julianna: 6.000
Design 1.5/3, Fabric 1/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.3/1, Overall Appearance 2/3
I do love the simplicity; I just wish there was a little bit more to this design. My absolute favorite part of it is the back. I love different backs, and this just looks so comfortable (which honestly is all I wished for when I competed). I wish there was a little more sparkle or something else just to take it up another notch, but I love the Cardinal tying in the school spirit!
Georgia: 5.800
View a video of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 3.600
Design 1.0/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, School Spirit 0.5/1, Uniqueness 0.1/1, Overall Appearance 1.0/3
We complain a lot about Florida and Iowa, but Georgia has got to be the most boring leotard school in college gymnastics, right? I feel like so little creativity goes into every new design (the first new one this season was good, though). Like, another black design with drippy rhinestones, a sweetheart neckline, and a couple of back straps? Yawn! You’re Georgia. Do something interesting for once!
Rebecca S: 6.000
Design 2.2/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.0/1, Overall Appearance 1.8/3
This is decent execution of a concept with no imagination whatsoever. There are some details, like the shaping of the scoop back, that I like a lot. It’s extremely OK.
Emily L: 6.700
Design 2.2/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.9/1, School Spirit 0.3/1, Uniqueness 0.3/1, Overall Appearance 2.2/3
I mean, it’s fine! It looks nice, but I’m just tired of Georgia’s plain black leos with the similar design on the front. But other than the lack of variety from Georgia, there isn’t anything to complain about here. I like the sparkle, and black looks good on pretty much everyone.
Mariah: 6.600
Design 2.1/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 2.0/3
This isn’t the most unique design I’ve ever seen, but there’s a lot that I like about it. I think the dripping sparkles on the back are really flattering, and the mesh fabric looks a bit shiny, which is a cool choice that elevates the design a bit. The rest is pretty uninspired though, and I wish there was a bit more school spirit incorporated.
Julianna: 6.100
Design 1.5/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.5/1, Uniqueness 0.3/1, Overall Appearance 2.5/3
This isn’t my most favorite Georgia leotard, but I really think it’s so flattering! I don’t think this is the most unique, but I love the placement of the dripping sparkles across the back, as well as the arms and the mesh across the back. Again, it’s nothing special, but I do think it’s beautiful—the perfect ‘staple black’ leo to add to Georgia’s repertoire.
Fan Poll
Congrats to Penn State for winning last week’s fan poll! Vote for your favorite design from this week here.
READ THIS NEXT: What MAC Gymnasts Really Think About Their Leotards
Article by Elizabeth Grimsley, Rebecca Scally, Emily Lockard, Mariah Dawson, and Julianna Roland
Talk about inconsistent scoring! I now see why the others are scored so low if this one is the best you have seen.